


Everything Is Ruined

by addledwalrus



Series: Those Darn Kids! [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: 1970s, 1980s, Angst, Arguing, Awkwardness, Baseball, Bedtime Stories, Blood and Violence, Bullying, Children, Children's TV, Christmas, Conspiracy Theories, Cousins, Crying, Cultural Differences, Dancing, Disco, Dysfunctional Family, Fairy Tale Elements, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Family Secrets, First Crush, Flashbacks, Games, Gen, Ghosts, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Happy Ending, Horror, Humor, Inspired by Novel, Inspired by a Movie, Labyrinth References, Loss of Innocence, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Movie Reference, Newborn Children, Past Character Death, Past Infidelity, Perversion, Pop Culture, Psychological Trauma, Rage, Regret, Relationship Advice, Relationship Issues, Revenge, Romance, Sexual Confusion, Sexual Humor, Star Wars References, Summer Camp, Supernatural Elements, Toys, Valentine's Day, Walking In On Someone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-04-20
Packaged: 2018-09-21 07:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9538688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: A collection of short stories detailing events in the childhood of wannabe conspiracy theorist and butt monkey David.





	1. Cake Face

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's about time this character got his own story, since there's a lot of potential to explore his 1980s pop culture saturated younger years.

**August 1976**

"Oh, he's just precious! Can I hold him?"

"Sure. Why not?" Tony relented with a shrug as he figured it wouldn't hurt to let his older sister to mind the new baby for a while.

He slowly passed the blue bundle towards her and she smiled in adoration when her arms locked around the puzzled infant, holding it protectively as if it were her own child.

"What's his name again? Daniel?"

"David." Tony answered tersely, noticing the smell of his sister's perfume and hoping it wouldn't overpower his son's senses.

"I see..." Sophia sighed in bliss. "Well, he's a pretty one, just like his mother..."

_"So you say... does that mean I was an ugly baby?"_

Unaware of her brother's thoughts, Sophia cooed at the infant's round face and large bewildered eyes, before gaining a little more confidence and raising him up so that she could plant a kiss on the forehead.

She pulled away and a whimper sounded, that soon turned into a full blown wail as David expressed fear of his aunt's heavily made up face.

Oblivious to the effect she was having, Sophia handed him back to Tony in dismay and could only assume that he was simply afraid of strangers, as many young children were.


	2. Let's Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much the obligatory chapter that shows how innocent and happy the protagonist was before things started to go downhill.

**1979/1980-ish**

"Storytime, Daddy?" The three year old asked, gripping his blanket with chubby hands and squirming excitedly upon seeing Tony enter the room to turn out the lights.

The dark haired man sighed and moved his hand away from the switch as he decided to comply with the young child's wishes.

"Alright..." He said wearily, pulling a chair across the room so that he could sit down. "I don't know if you've heard it already, but once upon a time there was a carpenter with a big red nose..."

"What's that?"

"Someone who makes things out of wood."

"What kinda things?"

"Things like toys and chairs."

"Like Santa?"

"Yes."

David listened halfheartedly as the tale wore on, interrupting with various innocent questions until he was too tired to pay attention anymore. He blinked in a final attempt to stay awake, before the sound of his head sagging down against the pillow prompted Tony to smile in relief.

The toddler slumbered peacefully even as the room went dark and Tony left his side to head downstairs to where his wife was eagerly waiting.

She put a disco record on and took him by the hand so that they could dance together, feeling the music and enjoying each other's company as they'd done in the past.

Neither of them were aware that the pleasant melody had woken David up and that he was now standing at the top of the stairs, blissfully observing the way she twirled while imagining her as the fairy from his father's story.

He soon tiptoed back to bed as quickly as he'd left it, before crawling under the covers and pretending to sleep by lying as still as he could.


	3. Here's Tony

**June 1980**

David sat alone in the backseat, looking forward to riding a new tricycle while his parents conversed intensely in front.

The revving of a motorcycle close behind put all three occupants of the vehicle on edge and Tony quickly glanced at the rear view mirror, before pulling into the next lane.

He pressed against the brakes and brought the car to a stop, allowing the policeman to catch up and accost him for driving a few miles over the speed limit.

David could only watch in awe when the two men sprung into a bitter argument that ended with Tony raising his middle finger and swearing right in the cop's presence.

"Well, fuck you, officer..." He muttered, losing his patience and tossing the speeding ticket aside as he drove off even faster than he'd pulled over, prompting his wife to stare at him in shock.

"Did you have to say that in front of a four year old?"

Tony didn't reply and instead swallowed in shame upon realizing the cost of his defiance. He lowered his voice and quietly apologized to David, though the young child failed to see a good reason for such an act.

"It's okay, Daddy. That man's an asshole anyway." He spoke up brightly in an attempt to cheer his father up.

What he didn't expect however was for a loud gasp to escape his mother's lips, followed by her scolding Tony in frustration.

"Honestly, what have you and your father been teaching him? It needs to stop..."

* * *

_Tony entered the nightclub through a door in a dark alleyway, adjusting his hat and trenchcoat before making sure the silencer on his gun was working._

_He found his target alone in an empty room and pulled the trigger before the old man could fight back, sending them tumbling backwards with a single hole in their chest._

_One glove change later, the thirty two year old assassin was back out on the street, walking casually along with hands in his pockets while ignoring the odd glance or two._

_In his mind, he believed that nobody would ever truly understand his way of life, not even his wife or close family._

_He knew regardless that one day they would have to deal with the weight of his inevitable demise, a matter that plagued his conscience despite the passion he held for his work._

* * *

"Look what I drew, Grandpa! Is it good?"

David lifted his crude but colorful picture of Tony dressed as a gangster, only to lower his arms in disappointment when he realized that the old man had been put to sleep by the slow music that was playing.

He gave a childish sigh and decided to instead climb the stairs to show off the work of art to the very people who'd brought him into the world.

He reached the door to their room after much effort and pushed it open excitedly despite the unpleasant creaking noises he heard, before the obscene sight greeted him like something out of his worst nightmares.

"Daddy...?" He uttered in confusion, while trying to move from his current position with little avail.

"David!" His mother suddenly cried out, raising her head and encouraging him to finally look beyond his father's paralyzed body. "Go back downstairs, please. Mommy will be with you in a minute..."


	4. We Can Work It Out

**September 1981**

"I bags cowboys!"

"Me too!"

David could only meekly agree to play the part of the Indian, fully aware that there was no such thing as challenging his cousins' decisions.

As a result, he found himself literally running around the backyard for his life while they gave chase and brandished skipping ropes.

They caught up to him without much effort and before too long, he was being dragged roughly through the grass by the feet for a mock trial.

Olivia grinned in triumph as she pinned him up against the nearest tree, while her brother Ricardo steadily tied him up and eventually yanked on the knot to make it secure.

The two older children then took turns tossing dirt and pebbles at his head until they grew bored and headed back inside to watch cartoons on TV.

Several minutes passed before David finally began to panic and attempt to free himself. When that proved futile, he broke into tears and hysterically called various names.

"Aunty Sophia... Mommy... Daddy... I'm stuck, please help me..."

* * *

"So, may I start by asking your first names? Helps me empathize with people a little more." The marriage counselor began calmly, tweaking his moustache while twirling a pen around.

"Tony."

"Patricia."

_"Oh yeah, you've got one great body, lady..."_

"Okay, now try to answer all questions as honestly as you can. First up, how often do you have sex?"

"Is it really necessary that you know?" Tony asked impatiently while clenching his fist.

"About once a month." Patricia replied without batting an eye.

"Hmm, that seems normal. Do you have any children?"

"Yes. A five year old boy."

"Alright, back to the main subject. How would you rate each other in bed?"

"Come on, you can't be serious!" Tony yelled, losing all composure as he rose to his feet. "Why does this stuff interest you so much?!"

The marriage counselor simply stared back before clearing his throat.

"Well said, sir. I really think we're starting to get somewhere."

* * *

Sophia fortunately returned from her shopping trip an hour later and was quick to sort the mess out before punishing David's cousins just as they deserved, an act that filled the five year old with an even deeper respect for his aunt.

He was allowed to join Ricardo in the living room after tea time and the two boys found common ground in their dislike of Sesame Street and preference for Looney Tunes and Blackstar.

The rest of the afternoon went by in a flash and when evening fell, the sound of a familiar car outside signalled it was time for David to go home.

He held on to Sophia's hand on the way out and to his surprise, Patricia was the sole person to step out and greet him.

He opened his mouth to ask about his father's whereabouts, only to be interrupted when she and his aunt sprung into a conversation concerning typical feminine matters.

By the time he was finally able to open the car door to climb inside, a faint noise distracted him and he turned to see a fair haired woman in white waving casually from where she stood.

Something about her appearance and unusual complexion convinced him that she wasn't entirely of this world, so he anxiously broke eye contact and rushed right into the back seat before slamming the door shut.


	5. Tainted Love

**October 1981**

"Alright, is everyone sitting down? It's time for roll call."

David leaned his head against his hands and smiled excitedly while Miss Kovacs read out the name of each student in the class.

She left her desk as soon she'd made notes of the two absences and headed towards the blackboard to begin pointing out various states.

The combination of her auburn hair and green eyes mesmerized David to the point that he could focus only on her attractiveness rather than what was been taught.

Unfortunately, this meant that when she asked him a question, he was unable to give a proper response, which resulted in some of the other children staring at him like he was stupid.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you cheated on him in college?"

"Yes... yes, I did." Patricia admitted in defeat while remembering her wild younger years. "But if it makes anything better, I never actually slept with the other guy."

"Okay, Tony. What do you have to say about that?"

"What do I have to say? Well, it's ancient history and we've moved on..."

"Are you sure about that? Do you really trust your wife?"

"What?"

"Oh, don't act so innocent! You clearly slept with that hippie girl back in-"

"I thought we were apart then! And my parents pushed me into it!"

"Oh, really? That's just like what happened with me!"

"Wait... wait..." The counselor firmly interrupted them. "You were both unfaithful, yet you still married each other? I'm starting to think that your relationship was built more on going against family expectations. Do you believe that to be true?"

Tony and Patricia both paused to contemplate the man's words, before turning to stare at each other in horror.

"Good God..."

"Everything is a lie..."

* * *

"Hey, your name's David, right?"

"Yes..." He immediately replied to the young woman as she leaned against the fence, only to mentally scold himself at the fact she was a complete stranger.

"My name is Ingrid. I'm an old friend of your mother, do you know where she is?" She continued in a soft voice, blue eyes piercing into him as she raised her head slightly.

"I can't tell you. I don't know who you are."

"Well, I understand if you're afraid. You've never met me, after all..."

Her voice trailed off and she suddenly put on an expression so serious that it was disconcerting.

"There's trouble coming. I'd run and hide if I were you."

"Huh?" David uttered in confusion, before turning around to see classmates Adam and Billy approaching with malicious grins on their faces. He spun his head back around in desperation, only to find that Ingrid had somehow vanished.

He forced himself to stand his ground and bravely face the two larger boys, though that proved futile when they effortlessly yanked him off his feet and began pulling him towards a nearby drinking fountain.


	6. Off the Deep End

**February 1982**

Tony gathered his things and the folder of completed homework as soon as the last student had left, feeling relieved that the school day was finally over.

The discovery of a pastel pink card between the pages of the attendance roll filled him with both surprise and dread.

He unfolded it and his eyes widened in recognition at the familiar handwriting.

_Dear Mr Caruso,_

_You're a great teacher and I think of you after school, if you know what I mean..._

_One of your students._

Tony immediately ripped the card to pieces and made a mental note to burn the remains that evening, before heading out into the corridor and towards the staff room.

* * *

Patricia glanced briefly at her almost empty mug of coffee then gazed back towards the pile of rough drafts waiting to be proofread.

She forced herself to push through despite her depressed mood and inhibited concentration, until it seemed like all the mistakes had been corrected.

It was only when she went off to check the nearby calendar that the reason for her dejected emotional state became clear.

If memory served her correctly, today marked ten years since the death of a former college roommate and close friend.

Her eyes began to well with tears as she remembered the quiet but good natured blonde, whose blue eyes and sweet demeanor had been enough to win quite a few admirers.

Thoughts of the girl's perpetually young face soon gave way to strong feelings of guilt and Patricia once again began to blame herself for the past tragedy.

* * *

David bashfully made his way across the school corridor, proudly holding the special card he'd made in art class as he caught sight of a slightly pudgy girl by the name of Wendy.

Something about her smile and dimples often filled him with a pleasant tingling sensation, so he walked straight towards her and showed off his work.

"Happy Valentine's Day..." He said sweetly as she turned to stare at both him and the bright red card.

"Is it for me?" She asked shyly, reaching for the gift while her cheeks flushed red.

"Yes."

She took it with a wide smile and David couldn't help but feel a great sense of accomplishment, though his happiness was immediately replaced by intense pain when she kicked him in the groin without warning.

"Woo! Nutshot!" She squealed in victory, turning to bask in the admiration of her friends and leaving David to whimper pitifully on his knees as laughter rung out all around.

* * *

 _"I hate girls..."_ David thought bitterly that afternoon while watching cartoons and nursing his still aching groin. _"They must all be evil or something..."_

The faint sound of his grandparents in the kitchen did little to ease his troubled mind and he turned off the television when figuring out why other kids hated him became a new priority.

A eerie noise from outside proved somewhat distracting and he crept to the window before pulling the curtain open.

What looked to be a young man was standing right outside the front yard, though just as with Ingrid, David knew that they weren't an ordinary human being.

Further observation prompted his eyes to widen in horror as it became clear that the redness on the man's clothes was probably fresh blood, something that the five year old had once seen in a movie he wasn't allowed to watch.


	7. Revelation

**February 1983**

_"Ready or not, here I come!"_

_David lowered his hands and with an excited smile, dashed off to search for his cousins. After finding absolutely no sign of them downstairs, he went up the stairs and entered Olivia's room first._

_"Olivia? I know you're here somewhere..."_

_He was met with complete silence just as expected, so he decided to check the wardrobe first. It took some effort to prise the wooden door open but when he did, he grinned wearily in anticipation._

_Unfortunately, the figure that emerged from the darkness was not Olivia, but a life sized E.T. doll with webbed hands outstretched._

_He let out a high pitched scream of terror as the toy fell forward and landed right top on of him, it's limp bulging eyes boring deep into his soul and making his heart race unsteadily._

* * *

"Mom!" David cried at the top of his lungs immediately upon awaking, only to realize that it was all just a nightmare. Still, he couldn't help but be afraid at the thought of an actual E.T. coming to life to haunt him, and the fact that the hideous creature could now be seen everywhere didn't help matters much either.

Patricia entered his bedroom in concern seconds later and asked if he was alright, to which he insisted that it was just a false alarm.

She didn't seem convinced however and offered her attention, before he stubbornly declined, repeating once again that he was fine.

The rest of the school day proved to be perfectly average, with the other children giving him the cold shoulder as always.

Perhaps the only person he even felt a remote connection to was Miss Kovacs and as a result, Geography quickly became his favorite subject, to the point that just looking at a map would be enough to remind him of her.

* * *

"...And to think, we wouldn't be together if it weren't for her..."

Patricia's voice trailed off while she lay beside Tony as they remembered the deceased Ingrid and reflected on the anniversary service.

"These ten years have gone by too fast..." Tony spoke up in response, staring straight up at the ceiling. "I wonder what she'd think of the world now?"

"Well, she always hated loud music and wasn't much of a go-getter, so...I just hope she's happy wherever she is...that's what matters, isn't it?"

"I guess so..."

"By the way, David's still a little boy. You seem to forget that sometimes."

"I can't help it. Sometimes I just feel the need to vent."

"Then do it with one of us, please not around him."

* * *

"Are we going to watch Looney Tunes again?" David asked innocently as he joined his cousins on the living room couch.

"No, stupid. Cartoons are for babies."

He swallowed sadly at Ricardo's harsh statement, only to forget everything when the other boy switched the channel to something called 'MTV' and his mind was blown by various surreal imagery such as a skinny man with somewhat reptilian features, half-naked magicians and a band of hairy men playing invisible instruments.

By the time Sophia called them to dinner, he could only trail silently behind his cousins with wide eyes and mouth gaping open in awe.

* * *

"Mom? Dad?" David called out once he was back home, before coming to a stop at the sight of an open photo album on the living room table.

He sat down to slowly flip through it in curiosity, smiling at the pleasant pictures of his parents on their wedding day and the ones of him as an infant.

However, a couple of faded photographs tucked at the back of the book sent a chill down his spine and he opened his mouth to utter a single word of dread.

"No..." He whispered, withdrawing his hand as soon as he recognized the young woman's fair hair and blue eyes.


	8. Space Trooper

_A sequence of dull and monotonous beeps attracted him towards the isolated hospital room, before he passed through the door and stopped to observe the young woman lying still with an oxygen mask on her face._

_His eyes wandered over to the electronic heart monitor by the side of the bed. The situation became clear and realizing what was to be done, he slipped right towards the woman and slowly pulled the mask away, cutting off her oxygen supply._

_The heart monitor flatlined and her physical body slowly faded away, allowing him to absorb her life force so that he could finally gain a material form._

* * *

**June 1983**

David found himself wondering how Patricia could even concentrate as a driver when both of his cousins were making such a fuss about Darth Vader's true appearance and how hideous it was.

They stopped outside Aunt Sophia's place and it was with great relief that the two older children were let out of the car, before they sped off in peace.

"Living with your grandparents, I've really come to appreciate any quiet time I get..." Patricia explained while steadily turning the wheel, though David felt too worn out to pay much attention.

Falling asleep proved to be no hard feat that night as he shut his eyes and drifted away upon visions of brave Jedi warriors and white Stormtroopers.

* * *

_"Come out, you little brat! You can't hide from Daddy forever!" Tony cackled insanely while lumbering through the kitchen with knife in hand._

_David's eyes widened in terror at the sound of the madman's voice and he held his breath, hoping that he wouldn't be spotted hiding beneath the tablecloth, only to have all hopes destroyed when Tony lowered his head and grinned in victory._

_"You're in for one big world of pain, kid..."_

_The knife was raised high in the air just as an aggressive female voice called out and distracted Tony from carrying out his crime._

_"Step away from him, you son of a bitch!" Patricia gritted her teeth, bursting in through the door while brandishing a large black gun. "You're not hurting my kid ever!"_

_"Your kid? I thought he was-"_

_"Shut up!"_

_She pulled the trigger and a blue jet of light shot out, hitting Tony square in the chest and sending him crashing right through the nearest wall, never to be heard from again._

_"Mom!" David cried in relief and gratitude, rushing out from beneath the table to give her a tight hug before they left the smoking house together._

* * *

**October 1983**

David managed to catch one last glimpse of his reflection before he left the house with cousin Olivia, finding it hard to move in the heavy Yoda costume while she ran along in a child sized cheerleader uniform.

He attempted to catch up, only to find that he tended to lose balance each time, so they eventually agreed on a spot where they would meet once it was time to go home.

They soon set off in opposite directions and David held his basket close as he approached the first door on the route.

A smiling young woman answered the call and quickly rewarded him with a handful of wrapped sweets, an act that convinced him Halloween wasn't such a bad time after all.

Unfortunately, the following hour proved his assumption to be wrong, especially after being accidentally sprayed at by a rogue garden hose and getting chased by an angry old man with a baseball bat.

"I hate trick or treating. It's stupid." He loudly declared upon later reuniting with Olivia and she simply shrugged in response.

"Well, I guess it's not for everyone then. Too bad you're not as cute as me!"

It was at that moment David decided that he'd had enough. He reached out to slap her, but she stepped out of the way with little effort, causing him to fall forward and land face first in wet grass.


	9. Last Christmas

**December 1984**

"Tony, what is this horrible thing you let your son watch?" Vincenzo asked in disgust upon joining the two other males in the living room and seeing saturated colors on the television screen.

"It's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." David answered, failing to understand why his grandfather was so against children's cartoons.

"He-Man? What kind of name is that? That's no man, that's a woman with too many muscles..."

"Dad, are you alright?"

"Quiet, Tony! If you don't change it, he will grow up to love men!"

"That doesn't make-"

"Go book plane tickets tomorrow. We go home as soon as possible, you can leave Patrizia here if she doesn't want to come."

"I...I think you've forgotten to take your medication." Tony replied calmly as he got up to fetch the bottle of pills, only to be distracted by his elderly mother calling for help from the kitchen.

He promptly rushed to her side, just as she managed to shoo Patricia out for apparently being too wasteful.

"Tony...why you marry that girl? She all look and no skill..." The old woman muttered wearily for the umpteenth time while slicing vegetables in determination.

* * *

"So, his name is He-Man?" Patricia tried to confirm in disbelief, much to her son's dismay.

"Yeah." David answered, growing impatient at the way all of the adults were treating him like a freak for enjoying such a program. "He's the greatest warrior in the universe and he never gives up..."

"You know..." She began while glancing towards her father in law in uncertainty. "I once dated somebody like that in highschool, only he actually wore clothes and didn't have such a silly haircut..."

* * *

David sat in between his two cousins at the Christmas dinner while schmaltzy carols played in the background and conversations rung out all around.

He managed to ignore Olivia and Ricardo's bickering by focusing instead on what his parents were doing. He noticed the lonely look on Patricia's face and it soon became evident that Tony and Aunty Sophia were the only two people in the room to acknowledge her presence throughout the evening.

He stared down at his food while pondering why such things were the case, only to be rudely woken from his thoughts when Ricardo poked his elbow and began to chatter excitedly about presents they'd potentially receive.


	10. Cruel Summer

**June 1985**

* * *

"Bye, Mom..." David said wearily as he left Patricia's side and got ready to board the bus to summer camp.

He took the first empty seat available and was soon joined by his would-be bunkmate, a dorky boy named Ralph whom also seemed to be fond of He-Man.

"So, that was your Mom?" Ralph asked in curiosity, peering out the window at the well dressed brunette unlocking her car.

"Yeah."

"She's hot. I'm jealous."

"You're sick."

"Suit yourself."

* * *

"That was a pretty scary story that the counselor told, right?" Ralph whispered meekly while he climbed the ladder to get to the top bunk.

"Yeah, but it's not real." David insisted, rolling over and closing his eyes.

"You think?"

"Definitely."

"So you don't believe in ghosts?"

"Um, no..." He tried to reply firmly, only to remember his past encounters with Ingrid.

"You hesitated. You're a liar."

David sat up with a start and gazed straight upwards.

"Okay, maybe they're real. But what does it have to do with us?"

"Well..." Ralph began in uncertainty. "I thought that maybe we could find out if he's real, you know?"

"No, that's stupid."

"What? You're too chicken?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then what are you scared of?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired, okay?"

Ralph sighed before clearing his throat.

"I'll tell everyone what you said in your sleep last night."

"Ralph, I don't talk-"

"Oh, Miss Kovacs..." Ralph interrupted, raising his voice to a shrill and grating tone. "I love you, will you marry me?!"

David's eyes widened in horror and he felt blood rush rapidly up to his face, realizing that he had indeed dreamt a lurid dream about being with Miss Kovacs the previous night.

"Okay... we'll go..." He finally agreed, wanting nothing more than for the secret to remain hidden between just the two of them.

* * *

David's breath came out quick and shallow as he approached the eerily silent pond that 'rickety Dan' was rumored to haunt, shining his flashlight while Ralph hastily caught up.

"Do... do you see anything?" The other boy whispered nervously, prompting him to realize the sheer stupidity of what they were doing.

"No. I think we should get back before they find out we're gone..."

A ghostly echo sounded amongst the branches above and both boys simultaneously raised their heads in alarm, before a loud splash sounded and Ralph ran from the scene, panting in terror.

David managed to crawl out of the shallow pond soon afterwards, clothes soaked with water and mud as he too began to flee.

Unfortunately, he was spotted by one of the camp staff and swiftly accosted before he could return to the safety of the cabin.

Any attempts to explain that somebody else had put him up to it fell on deaf ears and in no time, David found himself being bitterly scolded for such foolhardy behaviour.

* * *

"Man, am I glad to be back at home..." David sighed in relief as he slumped against the couch beside cousin Olivia and watched MTV with her.

"You don't actually live here, you know..." The pre-teen corrected him before getting promptly distracted by the announcement of a new video from some young female artist.

"Yeah, but we're still family, right?"

Olivia didn't answer and David simply resigned himself to enjoying the sight of a heavily made up woman rolling around in very little clothing, even though such a spectacle left him feeling incredibly baffled.


	11. Close Encounters

**September 1986**

* * *

"Hey look, it's skinny lizard man..."

"Who?" Olivia raised her voice while running to David's side to look at the large film poster.

"Him." David stated, pointing towards the face of the lead actor.

"Oh, he has an actual name, you know. Same as your's."

"No way..."

"Yes way. Are we going to get popcorn or not?"

The two children were seated in the theater ten minutes later to watch a popular fantasy movie, as the first scene detailed the troubles of a teenage girl whom David thought looked like an older version of his cousin.

The later arrival of the dreaded goblin king incited several hushed gasps and it was only until the villain began to speak that he came to understand much of the appeal.

_"I can't explain it, but I'd follow him into a maze too if I were her..."_

* * *

"Hey, David.?"

"What, Dad?"

"I know this might seem forward, but could you help me proofread these essays? Makes for good practice..."

"Alright..."

David sat down beside Tony and tried to stay focused while poring over the writings of highschool students, some more engaging than others as he hoped to one day reach their level of self-expression.

* * *

A gripping passage about the 1947 Roswell incident in his new history textbook was enough to awaken a deep desire to find out more and David resolved to visit the school library that afternoon for further research.

Every reference he found simply lead to another until he'd come full circle, at which he reflected on the information and concluded that the government had indeed successfully covered up an extraterrestrial crash.

_"But if so, there must have been a good reason..."_

He considered asking his grandparents if they had any firsthand experience from the time, only to remember that neither of them had been able to speak or read English back then.

Another few minutes of deep thoughts and an obvious fact became clear to the point that David felt stupid for never realizing it before.

He had never met anyone from Patricia's side of the family and the fact that she rarely talked about her childhood made him wonder if something in the past had driven a wedge between her and them.


	12. Batter Up

**Summer of 1987...**

* * *

_"You... you poisoned our angel..." The old man whispered shakily while pointing a quivering finger at Patricia. "...I hope that life takes you as well!"_

_Patricia froze at the harsh words and let out a whimper as the guilt overwhelmed her to the point that she wanted to scream until her voice was no more._

_She forced both feet to carry her forward and a final glimpse at the closed casket reminded her of all that she'd given up over the past few years._

_Here she was, having been disowned by her parents, lost an illegitimate child and abandoned her college education, with the only clear indicator of a future being the ring on her fourth finger._

* * *

Patricia slowly wiped her eyes dry and stood up from the couch, turning off the television while heading upstairs, only noticing the worrisome change when she got ready to take a shower.

The additional flesh around a once trim waist made it clear that her body was finally beginning it's steady decline.

She turned to face herself in the mirror and for a split second, imagined a young model staring back flirtatiously with long eyelashes and bangs.

* * *

David readied the baseball bat and kept his eyes focused on Billy while the latter got ready to throw the ball his way.

Through his narrow scope of concentration however, he was unable to sense the presence approaching from behind until his pants had fallen down around his ankles.

The other three boys present began to laugh uproariously and David stared down at the ground in embarrassment.

The unpleasant feeling gave way to rage when he pieced the situation together and realized just whom was responsible for such humiliation. Unable to hold his emotions in any longer, he raised the bat and charged straight towards Ralph before delivering a hard blow to the other boy's face.

Adam and Billy both fell silent and turned to gape at him in shock while Ralph writhed in the grass, moaning pitifully through a bleeding jaw.

David simply grinned back insanely and prepared to swing the bat again, the only desire in his mind being to make them suffer after all that they'd done to him throughout elementary school.

"I'm...I'm going to fuck you both..."

* * *

"I...I really am sorry, Dad..." He apologized fearfully after Tony returned from yet another dispute with an angry parent. "I got angry and..."

"It's okay. I understand where you're coming from..." Tony countered in reassurance, sitting down beside him on the front doorstep.

"You do?"

"Yes. It's just that, I don't know whether to be proud or disappointed. You see, when I was your age, I was never brave enough to fight back when others tried to bring me down. I wasn't the only one either, your grandpa used to always get picked on by his boss."

"Oh..."

"But then again, what you did was still wrong. One of those boys just lost two teeth..."

David smiled sheepishly at the mental image and hastily lowered his head to hide the inappropriate emotion, before wondering how Patricia would react once she also found out about the park incident.


End file.
